| (19) |
 |
|
(11) |
EP 0 345 075 A3 |
| (12) |
EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
| (88) |
Date of publication A3: |
|
05.06.1991 Bulletin 1991/23 |
| (43) |
Date of publication A2: |
|
06.12.1989 Bulletin 1989/49 |
| (22) |
Date of filing: 02.06.1989 |
|
|
| (84) |
Designated Contracting States: |
|
AT BE CH DE ES FR GB GR IT LI NL SE |
| (30) |
Priority: |
03.06.1988 GB 8813161
|
| (71) |
Applicants: |
|
- UNILEVER PLC
London EC4P 4BQ (GB)
GB
- UNILEVER N.V.
NL-3013 AL Rotterdam (NL)
BE CH DE ES FR GR IT LI NL SE AT
|
|
| (72) |
Inventors: |
|
- Bee, Rodney David
St Neots
Cambridgeshire PE19 3LF (GB)
- Evans, Ian David
Bedford MK40 4NB (GB)
- Izzard, Martin John
Rushden
Northants NN10 O5Y (GB)
|
| (74) |
Representative: Roscoe, Brian Corrie et al |
|
UNILEVER PLC
Patents Division
Colworth House
Sharnbrook
Bedford MK44 1LQ
Bedford MK44 1LQ (GB) |
|
| |
|
(57) The invention provides a water/oil/water duplex emulsion in which the external continuous
phase is gelled. This gelling is obtained by having an osmotic pressure component,
e.g. an electrolyte, in the internal aqueous phase which draws water from the external
phase through the oil phase. The structure is firm but contains a considerable volume
of available aqueous phase. The structure is of value in e.g. foods and cosmetics.